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Best in practice: what works in customer service

Your reputation for providing the best customer service matters,. In fact, as our latest infographic illustrates, the importance of following customer service best practices is two-fold: you need it to maintain your existing customer base and you need it so your base will promote you to potential customers.

Your customers are talking about you on a variety of channels, such as social media, blogs and review sites. Social media isn't just a place for your marketing efforts; it's for brand awareness and customer service. Customer service and marketing are both important for potential customers: only 1% of respondents said that a company's customer service reputation is not important when they consider whether or not to do business with them. The results that come out of channels used for both marketing and customer service can be the kind your management is looking for.

A company's brand is contingent on the customer service they provide. Subscribing to customer service best practices dictates the need for customers to have great experiences on different channels. Social media, for instance, can have a strong customer support presence to show the company is listening. The management of various channels takes a lot of time, communication, and strategy, but it pays off for the consumer is worth it in the end.

One of the most important factors in providing the best customer support is being able to respond to customers through a variety of channels. Many respondents (43%) listed the web as their preferred method of contacting customer support, but it's important to acknowledge that there are at least 5 other methods outside of the traditional 'in store' method that need to be accounted for. Strong customer service serves the customers as well as it does the brand and the company.